5 of the Best Horses in Kentucky Derby 150

The final Kentucky Derby prep races are in the books, and the field will soon be finalized for the 150th running of America’s iconic race. The top five points earners on The Road to the Kentucky Derby are Sierra Leone, Fierceness, Catching Freedom, Stronghold, and Resilience. Here is a closer look at these five leaders. 

Sierra Leone

Victories in the Blue Grass S. (G1) and the Risen Star S. (G2) vaulted Sierra Leone to the top of the leaderboard. In these races, he beat five of the 20 horses who have earned a place in the Kentucky Derby starting gate: Catching Freedom, Resilience, Dornoch, Just a Touch, and Honor Marie. The son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner has demonstrated versatility by winning three of his four career starts at different tracks. He also earned second place in the Remsen S. (G2).

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown has saddled one Derby second place finisher (Good Magic in 2018) and one third place finisher (Zandon in 2022). Perhaps Sierra Leone, who went for $2.3 million at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale, will take him to the winner’s circle. 

Fierceness

Fierceness caught the attention of the racing world with a 6 1/4 length romp in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Subsequently named champion juvenile male, he was an early Kentucky Derby favorite. But his sophomore debut was lackluster: he finished third in the Holy Bull S. (G3), encountering trouble at the starting gate and struggling to get away. 

He bounced back in a big way in the Florida Derby (G1), winning by an eye-popping 13 1/2 lengths, besting Holy Bull winner Hades. The bay colt—conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher—set a race record for margin of victory. 

Owner Repole Stable experienced two heartbreaking late Kentucky Derby scratches with favorites Uncle Mo in 2011 and Forte in 2023. Principal Mike Repole hopes Fierceness will bring them the trophy. 

Catching Freedom

Catching Freedom punched his ticket to the Derby with rallies from the back of the field to first in the Smarty Jones S. and the Louisiana Derby (G2). In between these races, he finished third behind Sierra Leone and Track Phantom in the Risen Star (G2). He put away Track Phantom in his following race, but he hasn’t faced Sierra Leone again. 

He is from the barn of Louisville native and two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. Cox sent out Mandaloun in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. The colt crossed the finish line second, but nearly three years later, he was recognized as the winner following the disqualification of Medina Spirit. Cox has not experienced a true Run for the Roses win. 

Stronghold

Stronghold is the second graded stakes winner for breeder/owners Eric and Sharon Waller, who run a small operation: currently, they have six horses of racing age. 

The son of 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, who was later inducted into the Hall of Fame, earned the lion’s share of his points in his last two starts with victories in the Sunland Park Derby (G3) and Santa Anita Derby (G1). In the latter, he beat Bob Baffert-trained and Frankie Dettori-ridden Imagination by a neck. 

He is trained by prominent west coast conditioner Philip D’Amato, who will saddle his first Deby starter. 

Resilience

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott also has interesting Derby history: He won in 2019 with Country House following the disqualification of Maximum Security, who interfered with other horses in the race. This year, he saddles Resilience, the decisive winner of the Wood Memorial S. (G2). Prior to the Wood, the bay colt finished fourth in the Risen Star behind three horses on the leaderboard. He was bred by Pam and Martin Wygod, and the couple gave him to their daughter, Emily Bushnell, and their longtime advisor, Ric Waldman. Martin Wygood passed away on April 11. He was 84.